Amusement and attention attracting device



April 1961 J. LOFTON 2,977,699

AMUSEMENT AND ATTENTION ATTRACTING DEVICE Filed Aug. 10, 1959 INVENTOR. Jfl CK L a/ ra/v.

A role Me-ns.

AMUSEMENT AND ATTENTION ATTRACTING DEVICE Jack Lofton, Palmyra, Ind. Filed Aug. 10, 1959, SenNo. 832,748 4 Claims. (Cl. 40-30) The present invention relates to an 1 amusement device which operates to attract attention'and to catch the eye vide an automatically operated device for amusement and use as a toy and for attracting attention to objects around the device.

' In accordance with the present invention there is provided a wheel having a pair of projections extending therefrom. The wheel is'rotated by a motor causing the projections to alternately engage and support one or the other of a pair of-rings or links. The rings are connected together and have other rings or links connected thereto in a chain so arranged that each time the s'upportds removed from one of the pairs of links, that link appears to fall the entire length of the chain.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the followingdescription and claims: I V

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an amusement andattention attracting device embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device illustrated in Fig. 2 showing, however, only a few of the links-making up a chain of links forminga part of thedeviceof Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view similar .to. Fig. 1 showing the device in a different operating position than the position illustrated in Fig. 1.. 1T, Referring now to the drawings, this invention comprises a frame which has secured thereto a support 11 having mounted thereon a motor 12 which is preferably an electric motor. The shaft 15 of the motor extends forwardly through the support 11 and the frame 10 and has mounted upon its distal end a wheel or disc 16. It should be noted that the axis of the shaft 15 and of the disc 16 is arranged in a horizontal plane. The motor 12 is so constructed that as it rotates its shaft 15 the disc 16 is turned in a clock wise direction as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1.

Extending forwardly and axially of the disc 16 from diametrically opposed points adjacent the periphery of the disc is a pair of projections 17-18 each of which has at its distal end an enlarged head 20. As the disc 16 is rotated by the motor 12, the projections 17 and 18 engage and support, respectively and alternately, rings 21 and 22, the heads 20 acting to retain the rings upon their respective projections. The first link 21 passes through the link 22 and through a link 25, the links 22 and 25 forming a first pair of links. A second pair of links is formed by the links 26 and 27. One of the second pair of links, the link 27, passes through both of the first pair of links, 22 and 25, while the other of the secpresent invention to provide" a ond pair of links, the link 26, passes through only one of the first pair of links, the link 25.

The first mentioned of the second pair of links, the link 26, passes through both of a third pair of links 28 and 29, while the second mentioned of the second pair of links, the link 27 passes through only one of the third pair of links, the link 29. The remaining pairs of links 30-30 are arranged in a like manner so that the link,

ineach pair which passes through both of the links in the preceding pair of links passes through only one of the links of the next succeeding pair of links, and the link in each pair which passes through only one of the links of the preceding pair of links passes through both of the links of the next succeeding pair of links. A final link 31 passes through both of the final pair of links 30.

It should be noted that all of the links are formed in a shape of a tore and have an equal diameter and thickness. The diameter of the disk 16 is approximately equal to, but slightly greater .than, the diameter of the link 21 V and the spacing of the projections 17 and 18 from one another is approximately equal to the diameter of the link 21. The spacing of the enlarged heads 20 of the projections 17 and 18 from the forward surface 35 of the disk 16 is approximately equal to the thickness of the link 21.

The device operates in the following manner: The disk 16 is caused to rotate about its axis by means of the motor 12 and the link 21, which is supported by the projection 17 and' moves upwardly with the projection 17 until the 1,, link 22 is engaged by the curved surface 36 at the periphcry of the disk 16. The surface 36 guides the link 22 'into a suitable position so that it will be engaged and supported by the projection 18 as the disk 16 continues to rotate. The projection 18 moves upwardly with the link 22 sup ported thereon until'the link 21 is forced off of the projection 17 by the removal of the weight of the chain of links from the link 21 and by the upward movement of the link 22. The link 21 flips over and causes succeeding links connected to the link 21 to flip over in a chain' reaction down the complete chain of links giving the appearance that the link 21 has fallen downwardly to the bottom of the chain. As the disk continues to rotate,

the above described operation is repeated and the links 21 and 22 alternately are supported and take the position.

Each time the optical illusion is created of that link falling to thebottom of the chain.

Fig. 3 illustrates the position of the wheel and the uppermost links just priorto the instant at which the link 22 lifts link 21 and forces it oif of the projection 17 to begin the chain reaction.

The frame 10 may be supported by means of a shelf 40 or other support and may be surrounded by a plurality of items of merchandise and located within a store Window display. Each time the optical illusion of a link falling from the top to'the bottom of the chain is created, a prospective customers eye may be attracted to the store window so that he will observe the items of merchandise in the store window. If desired, the vertical portion of the frame 10 may carry advertising material related to the merchandise surrounding the device.

While the invention has been disclosed and described in some detail in the drawings and the foregoing descrip tion, they are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, as other modifications may readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art and within the broad scope of the invention, reference being bad to the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. An amusement and eye catching device which comprises a first link, a plurality of pairs of links, said first link passing through the first of said plurality oi pairs Qfi. links, one of the second pair of links passing through both of the first pair of links and the other of the second pair qf links passing through only one of the first pair of links, the first named of said second pair of links passing through only one of the third pair of links and the second named of said second pair of links passing through both of the third pair of links, the remaining pairs of links being arranged in like manner so that the link in each pair passing through both of the links of the preceding pair of links passes through only one of the links of the next succeeding pair of links and the link in each pair passing through only one of the links of the preceding pair of links passes through both of the links of the next succeeding pair of links, a final link passing through both of the final pair of links, means for automatically and alternately supporting said first link and the link of the first pair of links that passes through only one of the second pair of links, said means comprising an element rotating about an axis, a pair of projections extending axially from said element, said projections being so spaced that, when said first link is hanging from one of said projections, the rotation of said member will cause said one of said second pair of links to be engaged by said other projection and to be lifted upwardly causing said first link to be dropped by said first projection.

2. An amusement and eye catching device which comprises a first link, a plurality of pairs of links, said first link passing through the first of said plurality of pairs of links, one of the second pair of links passing through both of the first pair of links and the other of the second pair of links passing through only one of the first pair of links, the first named of said second pair of links passing through only one of the third pair of links and the second named of said second pair of links passing through both, of the third pair of links, the remaining pairs of links being arranged in like manner so that the link in each pair passing through both of the links of the preceding pair of links passes through only one of the links of the next succeeding pair of links and the link in each pair passing through only one of the links of the preceding v pair of links passes through both of the links of the next: succeeding pair of links, a final link passing through both of the final pair of links, means for automatically and alternately supporting said first link and the link of the; first pair of links that passes through only one of the. second pair of links, said means comprising a wheel having its axis arranged horizontally, means for rotating said for alternately supporting said first link and said one of 7 said second pair of links, said first link and said one of wheel about its axis, a pair of projections extending axially from said wheel at opposite sides of the periphery thereof said second pair of links having an equal diameter, said projections being spaced apart a distance approximately equal to said diameter.

3. An amusement and eye catching device which comprises a first link, a plurality of pairs of links, said first link passing through the first of said plurality of pairs of links, one of the second pair of links passing through both of the first pair of links and the other of the second pair of links passing through only one of the first pair of links, the first named of said second pair of links passing through only one of the third pair of links and the second named of said second pair of links passing through both of the third pair of links, the remaining pairs of links being arranged in like manner so that the link in each pair passing through both of the links of the preceding pair of links passes through only one of the links of the next succeeding pair of linksand the link in each pair passing through only one of the links of the preceding pair of links passes through both of the links of the next succeeding pair of links, a final link passing through both of the final pair of links, means for automatically and alternately supporting said first link and the link of the first pair of links that passes through only one of the second pair of links, said means comprising a disk having its axis arranged horizontally, means for rotating said disk about its, axis, a pair of projections extending axially of said disk from diametrically opposed points adjacent the periphery of said' disk for alternately supporting said first link and said one of said second pair of links, each of said links having-an equal diameter and thickness, said projections being spaced apart a distance approximatelyequal to the diameter of said links, said projections each having an enlarged head at the distal end thereof and each extending from said disk a distance approximately equal to the thickness of said links.

4. An amusement and attention attracting device which comprises a wheel, means for rotating said wheel about its:

axis, a pair of links, a pair of projections extending from said, wheelv for alternately supporting one or the other of said links as said wheel is rotated, a further pluralityof links, all of said links being connected together in a chain so formed that, each time the support is removed from one of said pair of links, the linkfrom which the support has been removed appears to fall the entire length 0fv he. hain.

References Cited, in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,848,230 Muddiman Aug. 19, 1958 

